We were going on a short break and my qualified chef, who is working, thinks it his mums job to cook for him. So before we left I made him this Chicken Alfredo Pasta.
Chicken Alfredo Pasta
He can literally live on pasta. I think he has enough food for a few meals.
This is by no means the authentic Alfredo pasta. But it’s how we love it and it’s super tasty.
It makes a great weeknight dish because it’s so quick to put together. It is a rich pasta with loads of cream, if you’re watching your diet.
I used tagliatelle for this dish but you can use any pasta of your choice. You also don’t have to add the chicken.
The pasta and sauce on its own is so good. You can have some other protein on the side if you wish.
Although I say two cups fresh cream, you can use 1 cup cream and one cup milk. Any milk is good.
It may just not have that richness but will still taste delicious.
How to make the dish
Firstly marinate the chicken with the spices. Then pop your pasta into a pot of salted boiling water and cook until al dente.
Oil is not required when boiling your pasta. The sauce adheres to the pasta better without the oil.
I love adding some pasta water to my dish. It gives the pasta that beautiful silkiness.
You can also reserve some of the water, if you’re not serving the pasta immediately. It will help thin the sauce when serving.
Cooking the chicken
Chicken breasts can be tricky to cook if you’re still a novice at cooking them. You have to cook it for just the right amount of time.
If not you know, rubbery chicken and nobody wants that. I used two large breasts and slit them down the centre to make four pieces.
I cooked them for about 3 minutes on each side on medium to high heat. You can adjust the time depending on how thick your chicken is.
Thinner pieces of chicken may require slightly less time.
Making the sauce
Everyone has their own version of the sauce. We love loads of garlic so this has quite a flavour punch.
You can reduce to garlic if you prefer. Often I also reduce the amount of Parmesan in my food.
That’s when I’m eating it. Some of us have to watch our diet.
However it does require the extra Parmesan, trust me. Add more if you wish too.
Cheese always makes everything better…haha!
I hope you love this dish as much as I do. Please feel free to drop a comment and a star rating if you do try it.It is always appreciated.
More pasta recipes to try:
Mouthwatering Creamy Chilli Garlic Prawn Pasta
Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Ingredients
- 250 g pasta
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- salt
- pepper
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 large cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- 2 cups fresh cream
- 1 cup grated parmesan
- salt
- pepper
- fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken with the spices and set aside.
- Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Once cooked reserve about a cup of the pasta water.
- Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the chicken breasts, about 2&1/2 to 3 minutes per side. Cover with foil and set aside.
- To make the sauce add the butter to a pan, on medium heat. Once melted add the minced garlic and fry for one minute or just until the raw smell disappears. Don’t let it burn.
- Add the Italian herbs and oregano.
- Add the fresh cream and Parmesan and allow the sauce to thicken a little. Takes a couple of minutes.
- Add some chopped parsley
- Mix in the pasta. Serve the pasta with a piece of chicken on top or mix it in if you prefer.
Notes
- You can use half cream and half milk for this recipe
- If you want more heat you can add more chilli flakes to the chicken
- The chicken can be omitted if you want a vegetarian dish
